[mythtv-users] MythTV newbie needs hardware advice

[Brad Templeton]

On Fri, Jun 23, 2006 at 02:07:08PM -0700, Kirk Bauer wrote:


The main piece of hardware advice I would give to anybody is
"don't experiment."   Unless you are experimenting for the private
thrill of experimenting.

Buy hardware that lots of people have running well and easily under
Myth.  Don't buy anything else.

By far the easiest way to get Myth running, btw, is to find
somebody who has Myth running, and buy roughly similar hardware
(same video card class, same capture cards, same sound, you don't
have to be quite as picky on motherboards, drives etc.) and just
copy their hard drive.   IF they are running a distro that does good
hardware auto-detect, with programs like kudzu, the system will wake
up, walk you through config of your differing hardware and start
working.   Then you'll have to customize your myth and probably change
video sources.

But this is definitely the way to do it.  2nd best way is with one of
the distros pre-packaged with myth (knoppmyth etc.), using hardware
on their known to work list.

> So, question #1: what is the best option for making it controllable by
> an IR remote?

I personally think using Myth involves the keyboard far more than
most people would admit.   So while I have a remote, I never use it,
I just use my $20 lite-on IR keyboard.

However, just find the remote people are using the most, and use
it.   If you go with pvr-x50 cards, the 250 models and even some
150s have remotes and IR sensors and these are frequently isntalled.

> 
> Next, about DVDs.  Can my entire DVD be ripped so that all the menus are
> usable, etc?  Can I store and use Dolby Digital/DTS audio tracks?  What
> is a good sound card that would allow me to output digital audio
> (optical or coaxial) to my receiver?

I never bother since once I have watched a movie, I am done with it,
with a few rare exceptions.
> 
> Finally, when I am finally ready to try the recording features, I think
> I'll start with a non-HD DirecTV set-top box.  What should I get as a
> capture card?  I have heard good things about the PVR-500, but I know I
> want HD in the future, so can I just buy a pcHDTV-3000 and use it at
> first for plain old NTSC and later for HDTV?  Can you recommend
> something for controlling my set-top box via IR?

No, that card is a poor choice for that course.  I'm not sure there is
any card that has both ATSC decoding and hardware mpeg encoding on it,
is there.

Anyway, never buy any computer function before you need it is advice #2.
It's always cheaper and better when you get it later.

Most people go with pvr-x50 for NTSC video.   Add your ATSC card later
when you actually have your antenna up.   You know you won't get
ATSC or any other HD from your DirecTV receiver, I hope.   Not any way
at all, until analog capture of HD becomes economical.

> Oh, one last thing.  When I'm ready to move HDTV recording over to
> MythTV, presumably with four pcHDTV-3000's as tuners, what is the best
> method of getting programming?  Four HD set-top boxes from DirecTV is
> excessive, especially since I get most of my HD from an antenna now.
> But I do like my HD HBO/Showtime.  If I was to switch to cable, I'd
> still need set-top boxes, presumably four for my four tuners?  I suppose
> I could dedicate two tuners to over-the-air HD and two with set-top
> boxes?

Ah, I guess you don't know that.   HD can be got over the air only
today (except at great expense) and via ieee-1394 from certain digital
cable HD boxes.   With satellite there is no legal way to do it, but
there are web sites that sell hacked satellite boxes with 1394 output.


I have one pchdtv-3000 and I can't yet imagine wanting 4, but I guess there
are people who might watch that TV.    I treat a conflict as a sign
that I am watching too much TV, and I make a choice, though on one
occassion (Malcom and West Wing series finales on same night) did I
really feel bad about it.  THe malcome I recorded in SD.